Plastic container dispenser with outer carton container

ABSTRACT

A liquor portion dispensing-package for air line service use provided with light-weight and easily disposable characteristics comprising a composite container having an inner liquid containing member, a sealing cover thereover and an outer folding carton member. The inner container member being a semi-rigid plastic cup and the sealing cover being of flexible sheet material.

O Umted States Patent 1 91 i 1 11 3,722,754 Struble 1 Mar. 27, 1973 [541 PLASTIC CONTAINER-DISPENSER 1,955,745 4 1934 Hurley ..229/14 BE WITH OUTER CARTON CONTAINER 2-7091904 6/1955 B 2,705,579 4/1955 Mason 1 1 lnvemofi Glen" Slfllble, Falrfieldl Ohm 2,321,655 6/1943 Carr ..229/17 R Assignee: Diamond International Corporation, New York, N.Y.

1,278,643 11/1961 France ..222/541 [22] Flledi Apr. 14,1971

21 APPL 133 979 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-David A. Scherbel Attorney-Karl W. Flocks [52] U.S. Cl ..222/l83, 222/541, 229/7 R,

229/14 BE, 229/17 R 57 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. ..B67d 5/06 58 Field of Search ..2'22'/541, A hquor Portwn dlspensmg-package for 1m 1 3; 0 /5 R 5 vice use'provided' with light-Weight and easily disposa- 229/14 R 14 BE 7 R 14 B 7 R ble characteristics comprising a composite container having an inner liquid containing member, a sealing [56] References Cited cover thereover and an outer folding carton member. The inner container member being a semi-rigid plastic UNITED STATES PATENTS cup and the sealing cover being of flexible sheet, 2,933,229 4/1960 Bensel ..229 14 BE material- 3,349,985 10/1967 Salway ..229/14 BE 7 Claims, 4 Drawing'FigureS PATENIEDHAR271973 3,722,754

INVENTOR GLENN E. STRUBLE LK L LIJ FLOQKS ATTORNEY PLASTIC CONTAINER-DISPENSER WITH OUTER CARTON CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to packages of and containers for liquid material, and more particularly to a package for containing a serving portion of liquor for use on air lines.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the past, composite or lined cartons have been used to contain liquid. Such containers generally include an inner member which is of liquid impermeable material. None of these containers as exemplified by the prior art, however, has come forth with a dispensing container to satisfy the long felt need for a compact, light-weight, easily disposable liquor portion package for use in the passenger air line industry.

Containers of this type are generally of heavier weight, particularly with respect to the outer cushioning member, and do not combine features of lightweight and sturdiness together in an easy to open, readily disposable container with a built-in pouring spout, such as will become evident from applicant's disclosure herein below.

Examples of prior art composite liquid containing cartons of the general type hereinabove described are disclosed in the following U. S. Pat. Nos. 2,382,536; 2,784,894; 3,145,899; 3,240,416; 3,266,707; 3,353,738; 3,355,080; 3,362,608; 3,383,026 and 3,445,050.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a new and improved servable portion liquor package for use in the passenger air line industry.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lightweight sturdy container for liquor.

A further object of this invention is to provide an easily disposable liquor container carton for use in the passenger air line industry.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a liquor containing carton with a built-in spout member to facilitate easy pouring and to permit steady even flow of liquid without surge or splash.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a liquor containing carton which is easy to open for gaining access to the contents thereof.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an economical package for liquor which can be automatically formed, filled and sealed on standard high speed equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of the composite package constituting this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of an assembled package in sealed condition according to this invention;

FIG. 3 shows the package of FIG. 2 opened for pouring; and

FIG. 4 shows a blank for forming the outer containing member of the package constituting this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, it is seen that the novel light-weight composite dispensing container according to this invention is seen to comprise an outer folding carton container member 10, an inner container member 30 and a sealing cover member 40. The folding carton 10 comprises upstanding side walls or panels 11, 12, 13 and 14 each of which has a flap 15, 16, 17, and 18, respectively, hingedly connected to the top thereof. The flap 15 in-- cludes a triangular portion 19 one leg of which is defined by a slit 27 which may extend to approximately two-thirds of the length of the flap 15. The triangular portion 19 also includes a plurality of substantially parallel score lines 21. The flaps 16 and 18 each includes cut-away triangular portions 20 and 29; respectively. The cut-away triangular portions 20 and 29 are each substantially congruent to triangular portion 19. The inner container member 30 is made of semi-rigid plastic material and is generally in the shape of a cup. As seen in FIG. 1, this cup 30 is generally conical, however, it may also be of any other convenient geometric configuration, for example, it may be pyramidal. The cup 30 is provided with a radially outwardly extending flange 31 which functions as a sealing surface. A diagonally cut-away portion 32 is provided at one corner of the flange member 31 to effect smooth pouring along with a pouring spout formed at an upper portion of the cup 30.

The sealing cover member 40 comprises a thin sheet of metal foil one corner of which serves as a lifting tab 41.

To assemble the components shown in FIG. 1 into the package shown in FIG. 2 the inner container cup 30 is inserted into the outer carton member 10 with the cut-away portion 32 of the sealing portion 31 adjacent to the intersection of side walls 11 and 12 of the carton 10. The semi-rigid plastic cup member 30 is then filled with the intended contents, which may be any desired brand of liquor. A foil sealing cover member 40 is then glued to the sealing surface 31 extending around the periphery of the cup 30 with the lift tab 41 projecting over the cut-away portion 32 of the sealing surface 31. Flaps 15 and 17 are then folded and glued to the top of the cover 40 so that the flaps 15 and 17 lie in the same plane with adjacent longitudinal edges in substantial abutting relationship. Flap 18 is then folded over the top of flaps l5 and 17 and cover all of flaps 15 and 17 except the triangular portion 19 of flap 15. Flap 16 is then folded over flap 18 and glued thereto with the triangular portion 19 of flap 15 still exposed to provide the assembled package P as shown in FIG. 2. To form a relatively secured package bottom flap portions are glued to each other.

To gain access to the contents of the assembled package P it is only necessary to lift tab 41 and peel it back to open the triangular portion 19 of flap l5 and expose the pouring spout portion so that the contents may be dispensed by tilting the package as shown in FIG. 3. The triangular corner portion 19 of the flap 15 is die-cut and provided with score lines 21 to facilitate lifting and opening thereof. The triangular portion 19 is so dimensioned so that when it is properly opened it is large enough to provide for easy pouring and for passage of air into the cup to allow steady even flow of liquid without surge or splash.

Assembly of the outer carton from the blank shown in FIG. 4 to the open carton 10 shown in FIG. 1 may be effected by folding panels 14, ll, 12 and 13 at right angles in the same direction along fold lines 11', 12 and 13, respectively, and then turning portion 26 which includes cut-away corner portions 28 inside the free edge of panel 13 to which it is glued. The narrow flaps 22 and 24 which extend from panels 11 and 13 are then folded in toward the center of the box. Wide flap portions 23 and 25 are then folded over the bottom of the box and glued to each other to form the partially assembled container box 10 as shown in FIG. 1. The blank preferably is to be of light-weight cardboard material. Adjacent cut-away triangular portions 42 from panels 11 and 12 at the upper edges thereof may be provided to facilitate gripping and lifting triangular portion 19 of the assembled package P.

In carrying out this invention the package may be economically and automatically formed, filled and sealed on standard high speed equipment to provide easily opened packages for air line passengers and which packages may be easily disposed of by the air line in comparison to glass bottles.

It is to be understood that while one preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, numerous variations or modifications may occur to those having skill in this art and what is intended to be covered herein is not only the illustrated form of the invention, but also any and all modified forms thereof as may come within the spirit of said invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A light-weight composite dispensing container for liquids, in particular for packaging liquor to be served to airline passengers comprising an inner container member in which liquid is to be contained, said inner container member being a semi-rigid cup and an outer container member in which said inner container member is firmly and completely enclosed, said outer container member being a folding carton, said inner container member further including a generally outwardly directed radial flange extending circumferentially around the top of the cup and in the horizontal plane to provide a sealing surface on which a sealing cover member in sheet form extends in overlaid relationship, with said sealing member extending around the top of the cup and being adhesively secured thereto to effect a liquid-escape-proof seal,

said outer container member additionally including a bottom, a top, and a plurality of upstanding side walls, and said inner container member having a pouring spout directed to the intersection of a first and second of said pluralities of said side walls,

said first side wall and a third side wall each having an integral folded top flap in overlaid relationship with the top of said cover member and adhesively secured thereto,

said top flaps lying in a common plane and including adjacent free edges in substantial abutting relationship,

said top flap of said first side wall being integral therewith for on] about a third of the width of said first side wall an including a triangular portion in overlaid relationship with said cover member and pouring spout.

2. The container according to claim 1 wherein a vertex of the triangular portion of said top flap integral with said first side wall and a portion of the cover member immediately therebeneath projects slightly beyond the flange forming said sealing surface thus forming a lifting tab to facilitate gaining access to the contents of said container.

3. The container according to claim 2 wherein said pouring spout is directly beneath said projecting triangular portions of said top flap and cover member.

4. The container according to claim 3 wherein a fourth side wall and said second side wall each has an integral folded top flap in overlaid relationship with and adhesively secured to each other, and in overlaid relationship with the top flap integral with said third side wall and in partial overlaid relationship with the top flap integral with said first side wall, with this partial overlaid relationship effected by triangular cutaway portions from the folded top flaps integral with said fourth and second side walls which leave the triangular portion of said top flap integral with said first side wall exposed to permit lifting of the top flap integral with said first side wall and said cover member for gaining access to the contents of said container.

5. The container according to claim 4 wherein said first and second side walls have triangular cut-away portions to facilitate free pouring of the contents of the container.

6. The container according to claim 5 wherein said triangular portion of said top flap integral with said first side wall is die-cut and includes a plurality of score lines to facilitate opening.

7. The container according to claim 6 wherein said outer folding carton member is a relatively thin wall member. 

1. A light-weight composite dispensing container for liquids, in particular for packaging liquor to be served to airline passengers comprising an inner container member in which liquid is to be contained, said inner container member being a semirigid cup and an outer container member in which said inner container member is firmly and completely enclosed, said outer container member being a folding carton, said inner container member further including a generally outwardly directed radial flange extending circumferentially around the top of the cup and in the horizontal plane to provide a sealing surface on which a sealing cover member in sheet form extends in overlaid relationship, with said sealing member extending around the top of the cup and being adhesively secured thereto to effect a liquid-escape-proof seal, said outer container member additionally including a bottom, a top, and a plurality of upstanding side walls, and said inner container member having a pouring spout directed to the intersection of a first and second of said pluralities of said side walls, said first side wall and a third side wall each having an integral folded top flap in overlaid relationship with the top of said cover member and adhesively secured thereto, said top flaps lying in a common plane and including adjacent free edges in substantial abutting relationship, said top flap of said first side wall being integral therewith for only about a third of the width of said first side wall and including a triangular portion in overlaid relationship with said cover member and pouring spout.
 2. The container according to claim 1 wherein a vertex of the triangular portion of said top flap integral with said first side wall and a portion of the cover member immediately therebeneath projects slightly beyond the flange forming said sealing surface thus forming a lifting tab to facilitate gaining access to the contents of said container.
 3. The container according to claim 2 wherein said pouring spout is directly beneath said projecting triangular portions of said top flap and cover member.
 4. The container according to claim 3 wherein a fourth side wall and said second side wall each has an integral folded top flap in overlaid relationship with and adhesively secured to each other, and in overlaid relationship with the top flap integral with said third side wall and in partial overlaid relationship with the top flap integral with said first side wall, with this partial overlaid relationship effected by triangular cut-away portions from the folded top flaps integral with said fourth and second side walls which leave the triangular portion of said top flap integral with said first side wall exposed to permit lifting of the top flap integral with said first side wall and said cover member for gaining access to the contents of said container.
 5. The container according to claim 4 wherein said first and second side walls have triangular cut-away portions to facilitate free pouring of the contents of the container.
 6. The container according to claim 5 wherein said triangular portion of said top flap integral with said fIrst side wall is die-cut and includes a plurality of score lines to facilitate opening.
 7. The container according to claim 6 wherein said outer folding carton member is a relatively thin wall member. 